Handle for containers



Jan. 1, 1952 E. M. OLIVER EI'AL 2,

HANDLE F OR CONTAINERS Filed March 7, 1949 IN V EN TORS [ammo M 0uvsg BEm/Anm/E' MLHE'RBE Patented Jan. 1, 1952 HANDLE FOR CONTAINERS Edward M. Oliver and Benjamin F. Malherbe,

Denver, (3010., assignors to Homs, Inc., a corporation of Colorado Application March 7, 1945, Serial No. 80,032

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a handle for the ordinary tin can, and is more particularly designed for use on canned beer.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, neat, easily used and substantial handle which can be instantly applied to a standard beer can to form a drinking cup or mug from the can.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and e'fliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the improved can handle as it would appear applied to an opened beer can;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, with the can in place; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the improved canhandle removed from the can.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the can handle.

The improved handle is formed from any suitable material, ornamental colored plastic being preferred. It consists of a hand grip portion l curving downwardly and forwardly at its lower extremity to form a platform I I. The platform I I is formed with a circular, raised, concentric boss I2 thereon.

A latch member I3 is hinged upon a hinge pin l4 extending through a bifurcation l5 in the top of the hand grip Ill. The rearward extremity of the latch member l3 projects above the contour of the hand grip to form a depressible finger button IS. The forward extremity of the latch member is curved downwardly and provided with one or more can-receiving notches l I.

A typical beer can is illustrated at l8. Such cans have inset tops and bottoms surrounded by projecting peripheral flange beads If). The usual beer can can opener forms triangular openings 20 in the top of the can, as illustrated. This invention, however, is not limited to any particular type of opener or opening.

The rear extremity of the latch member [3 is constantly urged upwardly so as to force the forward extremity downwardly by means of a compression spring 2| which is inset in and acts between the hand grip portion IO and the finger button I6.

The invention is applied to the can by placing the latter on the platform H, with the lower flange bead l9 of the can surrounding the raised boss 20 so as to prevent the can from sliding from the platform. The latch member I3 is then lifted by pressing the thumb on the thumb button It,

and the notch I! is engaged over the upper flange 5 the thumb button It and tilt the can from place.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

A holder for cans of the type having a cylindrical wall and heads connected with the wall by marginal beads projecting outwardly from the heads; said holder comprising a plate-like platform, a central circular boss formed on the upper face of the platform, said circular boss having a fiat upper surface and a marginal edge face defining a circumferentially extending shoulder engageable with the lower bead of the can disposed on the boss, a vertically disposed hand grip portion having its lower end portion integrally connected with the'marginal edge of the platform,

the upper end portion of the hand grip portion being formed with a vertical slot and with a socket arranged at an incline, the upper end of the socket intersecting the lower portion of the slot, a latch strip extending laterally from the upper end of the hand grip portion, the rear end portion of the latch strip being pivotally mounted in said Slot and projecting outwardly therefrom, the forward free end of said latch strip having a downwardly extending recessed bill for engage- 5 ment with the upper bead of the can, and a compression spring seated in said socket and engaging the pivoted end portion of the latch strip to maintain the recessed bill in engagement with the upper bead of the can, and simultaneously urge the rear end portion of the latch strip out of the slot, said outwardly projecting portion of the latch strip forming a thumb engaging portionlwhich may be pressed downwardly to swing the latch strip upwardly out of engagement With the upper head of the can.

EDWARD M. OLIVER. BENJAMIN F. MALHERBE.

REFERENCES CITED 

